Beyond the hype; transcending the trends

Masks

Hi beauty geeks, it’s been a LONG while since my last post. I’ve been struggling somewhat with a few things when it comes to blogging. One being that sometimes, products tend to behave more than the sum of their individual product. Skin care nowadays incorporates so many amazing products these days. But some products tend to work really well despite having fewer good ingredients. So I’m questioning whether or not breaking the products down and judging them this way was a fair way to gauge products. Does anyone else ever feel that way? Another issue is that WordPress appears to have a limit for the space they give you for pictures. Blogs aren’t all that interesting without a few pics. So I’ve been wondering how to overcome that limitation. If anyone has any suggestions, please drop me a buzz in the comments below.

Onto the review! This will be one between the Innisfree Super Volcanic Mousse Mask and the Too Cool For School Morocco Ghassoul Creamy Mousse.

First off, I LOVE mousse masks. If you’ve ever been frustrated at how difficult it is to get clay masks off your face, mousse masks are an awesome alternative. The whipped texture makes them so much lighter and so much easier to wash off afterwards!

Packaging & Price

I’ve had the immense pleasure of using both these products. They’re really similar where price and packaging are concerned. I personally like the look of Innisfree’s packaging more. Both are plastic, but the nozzle on the Too Cool for School mask offers better control when you dispense the product. Both their packaging are mostly plastic and hold up well everyday abuse.

Price-wise, Too Cool for School was slightly more expensive. I got the Innisfree mask for RM62/- and the Too Cool for School mask for RM65.90 on hermo.com. Both are for 100 ml or about 3.4 oz, so they’re both quite a good value. These products lasted about 2-3 months of use, but that was because both my sister and boyfriend were sharing these products with me. We do spread it on quite liberally as well during each use.

Scent and Feel

The Innisfree mask has a relatively fresh scent to it, slightly more so than its jarred counterpart. Whereas the Tool Cool for School has an earthy scent. Keep in mind that the Innisfree mask is a volcanic clay mask where as the Tool Cool for School mask is made of Ghassoul Clay. So understandably, there would be some differences. Both scents are quite mild, but if (even the slightest) fragrances bother you, then I would suggest opting for the Ghassoul mask.

As with the jarred Innisfree super volcanic mud mask, the Innisfree mousse mask does have some finely milled volcanic clusters mixed into its luxuriously thick and creamy body. It provides some exfoliation, but not so much that you would feel the grittiness on your skin. The mousse spreads out quite effortlessly and dries down to a papery consistency. You’ll notice some darkened spots where it’s pulled up sebum. (I find that bit very satisfying) As you wash it off, you’ll notice how finely milled the volcanic clay is. Bottom line: I friggin LOVE this mask!

The Too Cool for School mask has been reviewed as the Lamborghini of masks. It’s quite thick and creamy in consistency as well, but slightly less so than the Innisfree mousse. It’s also slightly more gritty in texture so if you’re looking for more exfoliation, this one is the better bet. This mask also dries down to a papery finish but there are no spots to indicate sebum expulsion.

Both masks leave my face feeling fresh and clean afterwards, but the Too Cool for school one is slightly more drying and much more mattifying than the Innisfree masks. That being said, my sister, who has dry, sensitive and acne prone skin uses the Too Cool for School mask twice a week with no issues of breakouts. Both worked really well with my combination skin. Neither breaks me out.

Another thing to note, is that neither of these masks make the skin tingle or burn.

Final Thoughts…

This was a less in depth comparison of two of my favorite clay masks. I have to say, the convenience of these products makes it very difficult for me to turn back to regular masks. Personally, I do prefer the Innisfree mask. I like that it’s thicker and finer and I love it’s mild, refreshing scent. It doesn’t irritate my skin and it gets the job done well without breaking the bank. In other words, it’s got all the right elements to make it a permanent staple in my weekly skin care routine.

What did you guys think about this review? Let me know in the comments section below.

First post! Yay! This comparison between one cult favorite and a lesser known (from what I can tell) is really what sparked the creation of this blog. Being relatively new to the beauty scene, I was obsessed with trying to build my very first K-skincare routine. Now, I know that sleeping masks aren’t really an essential part of a basic routine, but I was also keen on trying out whatever I could get my hands on (c’mon, you know the feels). Long story short, I take sourcing for product reviews VERY seriously and it was frustrating to not be able to find a good one (at least in English) about the A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask.

So I took a plunge and bought a tub in order to see for myself just how well it stacked up against the one from Laneige.

**Needless to say, this isn’t a sponsored post and the views are solely my own.**

Price: (Off Hermo.com at time of writing)

A’pieu: RM28.00 for 110mlLaneige: RM22.00 for 15ml, RM79.00 for 70ml

The price of these products was one of the biggest difference between the two masks. This roughly translates to USD$ 1.68/oz or RM0.25/ml of product for the A’pieu mask and USD$ 8.28/oz or RM1.13/ml of product for the Laneige mask. It’s a huge difference, which really just made me want to try the A’pieu mask even more.

Thrown in for those who are really into the nitty gritty of what goes into their products. Side by side, there certainly are differences in the ingredients they use. Different extracts and such with the Laneige mask sporting a heftier number of ingredients. Do note that both products contain alcohol and fragrance. So if you’re sensitive to either ingredients, these aren’t for you. However, neither products felt drying in any way and neither products broke me out.

First Impressions:

I had my first experience with the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask back in December 2015, when I was given a couple of sample sachets when buying a Laneige BB Cushion. I remember thinking it was a lot heavier than I’d liked. I live in the tropical country of Malaysia whether the weather is unbearably hot and humid most of the year. Even though I spent a lot of time in an air-conditioned room, I felt the product was much more suited to use in cold weather or for those with drier skin (I have relatively oily combination skin).

I did think the name “Water sleeping mask” was a little misleading at the time. Especially when my sister and I were using a Bioessence sleeping mask (a drug store gel sleeping mask) which would turn into a lovely watery consistency when worked onto the skin. Four months later, I repurchased a sample sized (15ml) tub of the Laneige mask when I bought a full sized tub (110ml) A’pieu mask so that I could have a more concrete feel of their differences.

The main reason I decided to try these masks was that I have been spending even more time in air-conditioned environments lately and do feel that my skin is quite a bit dryer than before. Both masks have served well in bringing moisture back to my skin.

The Texture:

Both masks are of a thick gel-like, almost cream-like consistency. When both products first arrived, I found the Laneige mask to be more translucent and liquid than the A’pieu mask. The latter seemed more like a like a light pudding compared with the Laneige mask. After a while, the Laneige mask does thicken a little and become a bit more opaque.

The Scent:

Both products do contain fragrance, but they have a very mild, fresh scent. I enjoyed both and did not find them offensive in the least. As they do contain different extracts, they do smell slightly different, so whichever one you prefer is really a matter of personal preference. I like them both.

The Feel:

Despite the slight difference in texture, both masks feel almost the same when applied on the skin. I did not find one to be heavier than the other. Both were just as heavy as creams. I tried them both on my face and on either side of my hands. I couldn’t tell any difference in the time it took for each of them to be absorb into the skin. Neither products were sticky, but provided a slick, satisfyingly smooth layer of hydration when applied on the face.

On the back of the hand, neither of the products reduced any of the fine lines (as some good hydrating products would). If I really had to nitpick, I’d say that the Laneige mask does have a slightly more luxurious feel to it. But on the whole, both products gave me the same “I’m-having-an-unusually-good-skin-day” type of look and feel throughout the day after application. In both cases, a little goes a long way.

The packaging:

I have never owned a full-sized tub of Laneige Water Sleeping Mask tub. But in stores, the Laneige mask’s packaging looks well-made and elegant. It definitely looks like it could take a bit of abuse. But past that, I’m afraid I can’t say much more. The sample sized packaging is made of thin plastic and from the fact that the mask did become thicker after a week or two of opening, it doesn’t do much in keeping the product from being exposed to air. However, I do feel it’s unfair to compare this to the full-sized A’pieu mask’s packaging.

By comparison, the A’pieu mask’s tub looks fun and (even though I’m not a fan of Crayon Shin Chan) absolutely adorable! It’s made of thick, sturdy plastic. The plastic cover under the lid does look more heavy duty than the ones that come with many products packaged this way. Put simply, it doesn’t look cheap. If I did have one complaint, it would be that I wished A’pieu would provide a spatula as I do find it quite unhygienic having to dip my fingers into the product at every use.

To be fair, I prefer pump bottles for skincare products. Especially ones that come with heaps of product which you won’t be using every day. I just find that products tend to become contaminated and/or oxidized more easily in jars or tubs.

The Bottom Line

So onto the big question: Is the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is worth the hype? Honestly, no. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a very decent product, and it performs as advertised. You’ll have indescribably plump, deeply hydrated skin after using it.

However, I got pretty much the same effectfrom the much cheaper A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask. In fact, there are a number of moisturizing products with smaller price tags that would make you feel just as hydrated and moisturize your skin just as effectively. A few of these are mild enough that they can be used every day rather than just one or twice a week. But that’s a topic for another day.

The bottom line here is: I wouldn’t say that the A’pieu mask is a perfect dupe for the Laneige Water Sleeping mask (There are some very slight differences). But it works just as well and you get a much better bang for your buck.

So if you’re looking for a good, hydrating sleeping mask, and you aren’t bothered by the presence of fragrance and alcohol in the product, I’d highly recommend the A’pieu Good Night Water Sleeping Mask.